President Michael D Higgins was represented by his Aide de Camp, Lieutenant Commander Patricia Butler, and Taoiseach Enda Kenny was represented by Commandant Kieran Carey.

Louis Armstrong's 'What a Wonderful World' played as Davis' coffin was carried through the doors of the church by his three sons.

Derek Davis

"The final chapter of dad's life was his best," son Michael said. "He didn't leave anything undone, he had a new lease of life ... I could not have asked for a better teacher and father. It was a privilege to be his son."

During the ceremony, friends and family members recalled his razor sharp wit, his gift for storytelling, and his questionable taste in suit jackets.

Davis had advised his sons to mourn his death for "an hour maybe a day" than to "pick out a decent red or cast a fly".